Last jacks



S. E. FRAMPTON LAST JACKS Filed Feb 19, 1959 March 14, 1961 InventorStanley E Hampton LAST JACKS Stanley Ernest Frampton, Leicester,England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington,N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 794,421Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 4, 1958 7 Claims. (Cl.12-126) This invention relates to a jack for a last, of the typecommonly employed for presenting a shoe on the last to a shoe machine,and, more particularly, is concerned with improvements in such a jackfor facilitating the mounting of a last upon, and its removal from, thejack semiautomatically.

Shoe machines commonly are provided with a jack upon which a last with ashoe thereon is presented to the machine for the performance of anoperation upon the shoe. Typically, the jack comprises a jack pin whichis received in a socket in the last provided by the usual thimble whichis set into the heel part of the last; and the jack pin projects from alast supporting surface on the jack which is engaged by the top surfaceof the heel part to support the last against such forces as are directedtoward the last bottom during the shoemaking operation.

In the manufacture of lasts of the type disclosed in United StatesLetters Patent No. 2,806,233, granted September 17, 1957, upon anapplication of A. R. Hubbard et al., greater care than has beenexercised before has been given to locating the thimble longitudinallyof the last and perpendicular to the top of the heel part. Moreover,with a view to realizing the advantages of the accuracy of such lasts,especially when their use in an automatic machine is contemplated,attention has also been given to providing as close a lit as possiblebetween the jack pin of the machine and the thimble of the last. It hasalways required considerable care on the part of an operator inassembling a last upon a jack pin to insure that the complete mountingof the last upon the pin is not prevented by a jamming action betweenthe thimble and the jack pin and, with diminished clearance between thethimble and jack pin, the mounting of the last upon the pin and itsremoval therefrom has become more difficult.

In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of the invention tofacilitate the assembly upon and ejection from a jack of a last which ispresented to the jack by an operator or by work handling apparatus.

To this end and in accordance with one feature of the invention, theillustrated jack comprises, with a jack pin adapted to be received inthe thimble of a last on the jack, a platform for supporting the last byengagement Wit-h the top of its heel part, the pin and platform beingmovable relatively to each other in one direction axially of the pin tocause it to be inserted into the thimble and in the opposite directionto cause the pin to be withdrawn from the thimble, together with meansfor holding the last against the platform. Upon placing the last upon ajack of this construction, with the thimble over the jack pin and thetop surface of the heel part seated upon the platform, a coaxialrelationship of the jack pin and thimble is obtained. Moreover, thisrelationship is maintained throughout the insertion of the jack pin intoand its ejection from the thimble by the above-mentioned means forholding the last against the platform Patented Mar. 14, 1961 becomejammed against each other is obviated.

When the jack pin and platform are at one extreme of their relativemovement, they have a relation, i.e., last-receiving relation, such thata short terminal portion of the pin projects beyond the platform tofacilitate the presentation of the last to the jack with the thimble inregister with the jack pin. At this stage of the assembly of the lastupon the jack, the above-mentioned means for holding the last againstthe platform, which is illustrated herein as a detent carried by theplatform, is arranged to engage the last at a point opposite to theterminal portion of the pin whereby the detent and pin cooperate to holdthe last against the platform. If desired, the terminal portion of thepin may be tapered, as herein illustrated, further to facilitate theregistering of the thimble with the pin, as well as the insertion of thelast between the jack pin and the detent.

The relative movement between the jack pin and platform may be effectedby moving either one relatively to the other. However, as hereinillustrated, the platform is mounted to slide upon a post carrying thejack pin axially of the jack pin toward the base thereof to cause thepin to be fully inserted into the thimble, and in the opposite directionto cause the last to be ejected from the pin.

Although the illustrated detent is disclosed herein as cooperating witha positioning plate fixed upon the heel part of the last and as having anotch adapted to receive the detent, it is apparent that the disclosedapparatus may be modified, within the purview of the invention, toaccommodate a last lacking a positioning plate, but having a notch likethat in the illustrated plate.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will next bedisclosed in detail in the following specification, with reference to anillustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, and willbe set forth in the appended claims.

The drawing illustrates applicants jack 10, in sectional side elevation,having mounted thereon a last L of the type disclosed in theabove-mentioned Hubbard et al. patent. The last has a positioning plateP fixed upon the top of its heel part, the plate having formed in therear end thereof a V-shaped notch N. The last is also pro-- vided with asocket afforded by the usual thimble T which passes through thepositioning plate and is set into the heel part of the lastperpendicular to the top thereof.

The jack comprises a post 12 from the top of which there projectsupwardly a jack pin 14, the upper terminal portion 16 of which istapered and has a frusto-conical form.

The jack pin 14 projects through a clearance hole in a platform 18having integral therewith a slide 20 which is slidably mounted in a borein the post 12 so as to permit [relative movement between the jack pinand platform axially of the jack pin.

Upon a collar 22 Which is fixed to the slide 20 there is mounted ayielding detent 24, the upper end of which is shaped so as to fit withinthe notch N in the positioning plate P.

With the platform 18 and jack pin in their last receiving relation, asshown in the drawing, the tapered portion 16 only of the jack pinprojects beyond the work engaging surface of the platform. In mounting alast upon the jack, the thimble T is brought into approximate registerwith the jack pin and, upon lowering the last to bring the upper surfaceof the positioning plate completely into engagement with the lastsupporting surface of the platform, the detent 24 is caused to becomebiased against the positioning plate within the notch N whereupon thelast is gripped between the detent and the jack pin and is held againstthe platform in complete alinement with the jack pin.

With relative movement between the platform and post ar s s he hic m eef ecte within the scope of the invention, by movement of either thepost or the platform with respect to the other, the jack pin 14 isinserted into the thimble T. Since the detent is carried by theplatform, its grip upon the last is constant and maintained at the samepoint throughout the relative movement of the platform and jack pin.Because of the right-angular relation between the thirnble and the uppersurface of the positioning plate, on the one hand, and between the jackpin 14- and the platform 18 on the other hand, a coaxial relationshipbetween the jack pin 14 and thimble T is obtained and also is mairrtained throughout the insertion of the jack pin into the thimble becausethe last is always held against the platform 18 by the detent 24. Hence,there is avoided any tendency for a jamming action to occur between thejack pin and the thimble which would impede the assembling of the lastupon the jack. With a reversal of the above-mentioned relative movementbetween the jack pin 14 and the platform 18 the latter, in beingseparated from the jack post, causes the ejection of the last from thejack pin, at the end of which action only the tapered terminal portion16 of the pin remains within the thimble.

It will now be evident that the use of the tapered portion 16 of thejack pin as a leader or pilot for starting the entry of the jack pininto the thimble facilitates not only the presentation of the last tothe jack but also the engagement of the detent 24 within the notch N.Similarly, removal of the last from the jack is facilitated because itis unnecessary to lift the last off the jack axially of the thimble.Moreover, when the positioning plate P has become fully seated upon theplatform 18, complete alinement of the thimble and jack pin is effected;and because the last is thus held by the detent 24 the unobstructedinsertion of the jack pin into the thimble is insured.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A jack for a last comprising a jack pin adapted to be received in thesocket of a last on the jack, a platform for supporting the last byengagement with the top of its heel part, said pin and platform beingmovable relatively to each other axially of said pin in opposite lastassembling and ejecting movements, and means carried by said platformfor gripping the last at the same point throughout said movements andcooperating with said pin to hold the last against said platform.

2. A jack for a last having a socket for receiving a jack pin andcarrying on its heel part a positioning plate having a notch formedtherein, said jack comprising a post from which there projects a pinadapted to be received in the socket of a last on the jack, a platformthrough which said pin protrudes for supporting the last by engagementwith the top of said plate, said post and platform being movablerelatively to each other in one direction axially of said pin to causethe latter to be inserted into the socket of a last on said platform andin the opposite direction to separate the last and said pin from eachother, and means carried by said platform and cooperating with saidplate within said notch to prevent displacement of the last away fromsaid platform during the insertion of said pin into the socket.

3. A jack for a last having in its heel part a notch and a socket forreceiving a jack pin, said jack comprising a pin adapted to be receivedin the socket of a last on the jack, a platform for supporting the lastby engagement with the top of its heel part, said pin and platform beingmovable relatively to each other axially of said pin in one direction tocause the pin to be withdrawn from a last on said platform and in theopposite direction to cause said pin to be inserted into the socket ofthe last, and means mounted upon said platform for gripping the lastwithin its notch and cooperating with said pin to hold the last againstsaid platform throughout the insertion of said pin into the socket.

4. A jack for a last having in its heel part a notch and a socket forreceiving a jack pin, said jack comprising a platform adapted to beengaged by the top of the heel part of a last, a post having a jack pinwith respect to which said platform is mounted to slide upon said postaxially of said pin from a last receiving position into an operativeposition to cause said pin to be inserted into the socket of a last uponsaid platform, and a last gripping member carried by said platform forgripping the last within its notch when said platform is in its lastreceiving position and cooperating with said pin throughout theinsertion thereof into the socket of the last to hold the last againstsaid platform.

5. A jack for a last having a socket adapted to -receive a jack pin,said jack comprising a post having a jack pin adapted to be received inthe socket of a last on the jack, said pin having a reduced terminalportion, a platform adapted to be engaged by the top of the heel part ofa last thereon, said post and platform being relatively movable inopposite directions axially of said pin between a last receivingrelation in which the said terminal portion only of said pin projectsbeyond said platform and an operative relation in which said pin isfully inserted into the socket of the last, and a detent mounted uponsaid platform so as to engage the last opposite to said terminal portionof said pin when said pin and platform are in last receiving relation,whereby the last is held against said platform by said detent and pinthroughout the insertion of said pin into the thimble. 6. A jack for alast having a socket for receiving a jack pin, said jack comprising apost from which there extends a jack pin adapted to be received in thesocket of a last on the jack, a platform for supporting the last byengagement with the top of its heel part, said platform being mountedfor last assembling movement on said post axially of said pin from alast receiving position in which a terminal portion of said pin projectsbeyond the platform into the socket, and a last engaging detent aboveand carried by said platform for cooperating with said pin to hold thelast in engagement with the platform when it is in its last receivingposition.

7. A jack for a last having a socket for receiving a References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Koenen Sept. 20, 1921Miller Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No.. 2 974 335 March 14 1961 Stanley Ernest FramptonIt is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below.

Column 3 line 44 after "last" insert having a socket adapted to receivea jack pin said jack Signed and sealed this. 10th day of April- 1962.,

(SEAL) Attest: ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents N

